Xarelto News

Patients continue to file Xarelto lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturers Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Bayer AG. Most recently, Jermaine McMillan accused the manufacturers in a West Virginia court of withholding Xarelto safety information from patients, doctors and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

New blood thinning drug Xarelto (generic name Rivaroxaban) has been associated with major bleeding risks similar to previous anticoagulants. Doctors at the Tel Aviv University Heir Medical Center found that the drug has similar bleeding risks to warfarin and an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeds. The study is consistent with previously conducted random clinical trials.

Xarelto bleeding lawsuits are on the rise as more patients come forward with complaints of side effects after using the blood-thinning drug. A West Virginia woman who suffered a gastrointestinal bleed after being prescribed Xarelto to treat atrial fibrillation is the most recent patient to file a Xarelto lawsuit.

The European Union has given Bayer’s anticoagulant drug Xarelto a pass to expand use for patients, despite worries of side effects risks. Health officials cited a new study which found Xarelto patients might be able to undergo cardioversion therapy to restore a normal heart beat earlier than patients who take other blood-thinners, such as warfarin.

Repairing the aortic valve instead of replacing it could lead to better outcomes and no need for daily blood thinners, according to a recent study. Leaky valves are one of the most common heart conditions, and often require blood thinners to allow proper blood flow.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals has announced a new “starter pack” for its anticoagulant Xarelto, despite looming Xarelto lawsuits. The starter pack will be marketed to patients who have already suffered a blood clot, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism , and is intended for use in the first 30 days after a clot. More »

Not enough information is available concerning long-term Xarelto side effects, according to Harvard Medical School doctor Anthony Komaroff. Doctor Komaroff notes that anticoagulants such as Xarelto are new to the market, though they share similar characteristics with potential dangerous blood thinners such as warfarin.

According to a study published in the European Heart Journal, 4 patients who were being given Xarelto (generically named rivaroxaban) died during the study. The number was twice as high as patients on a similar blood thinner, also called anticoagulants, known as warfarin.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) denied Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson’s request to expand approved uses of its blood thinner Xarelto in early 2014, according to reports. The FDA panel found that the clinical data from one drug trial conducted by J&J was not enough to support widespread Xarelto use for preventing conditions such as heart attacks and stroke. More »